Friday, June 25, 2010

This piece is from the same rainy afternoon as the last post; although, it seemed like morning. With 17 1/2 hours of light each day, we'd be up until after midnight, having dinner after 10:00, and often sleeping until whenever we wanted. Our schedule was way off. But, that's another great thing about a trip, it doesn't matter.

This is the boat we spent a week on, the Glacier. We would always anchor in a calm bay at night, and venture around in the day, usually in a 12 foot hard, rubber skiff.

I took this photo from the skiff, (you can see the rope at the front) when we were motoring from one beach combing spot to another. I couldn't believe a humpback whale was right in front of me. There is no known report of a humpback knocking over a skiff!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

My husband, our son, and I just got back from an incredible 15 day trip to SE Alaska. Most of the time was spent on, or near, Prince of Wales Island. We flew from Denver to Seattle to Ketchican, where we overnighted to wait for the once a day 3 hour ferry to POW Island. We spent one week on a 55 foot boat meandering in and out of islands, bays, the ocean, exploring nooks and crannies and having an adventure of a lifetime. This painting was done on the back of the boat, under a roof, in a drizzle. I have never seen so many greens and grays! About half of our trip was overcast or rainy, but it gave for great color studies!

I have never painted from a boat before. I have never painted in a raincoat or in Extratuff rain boots! But, you do, what you gotta do!

This is pretty much what I wore everyday. Fleecs and rain gear. One day we went beach combing and created beach still lifes.

While I was away, I became a part of a new daily painting group, Daily Painter Originals. If you have not already done so, please check us out, and sign up to be a follower. We will be showcasing 24 daily painters. Our mission is to create fine art that is accessible and affordable. I am thrilled to be a part of this group!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

This is a second sample piece for the wedding shower invitation. Another of the bride-to-be's flowers is a burgundy dahlia. Talk about a lot of petals! Even though one of her colors is dark blue, I lightened it in this sample to create contrast.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Burgundy Rose
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h
SOLD
I'm painting what will become an invitation for a wedding shower. The bride-to-be's colors are burgundy and dark blue, and a burgundy rose will be in her arrangements. I think that in lightening this rose it ended up too red. Also, there's not enough contrast with the dark blue. I'm going to try another one.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Orange Sprig
5" x 7" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h
I've decided I need to use Thalo Blue. It's not in my usual palette, although it sits in my paint box. I can get all the colors I want for my landscapes with out using it, so because it's so strong, I avoid it. These sprigs were in our yard, and since they're a complement of blue, I thought they'd be great to use in a Thalo Blue study. I added Cad Red Light to gray the Blue, but don't think I used enough. I'll try again.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Yellow Squash
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h
Of course, it's important to have a healthy diet. And, I guess it's also important to have a healthy painting appetite! So, these are from the vegetable rack at Summerland Gardens!

Friday, June 4, 2010

From Above
6" x 6" Oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h
I frequently do paintings in series ie: 3 paintings of the same object, scene, colors, etc. It reinforces color mixing, composition, whatever I happen to be thinking about at the time.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Every fall, after the last blooms of the season, I pick the wilted, dried zinnias and save the flowers in a bowl in the laundry room. Then, come spring, I break apart the flowers, mix together all the seeds, and replant the zinnias. It's kind of like seeing grandchildren growing up in my own back yard. This dried flower was, and will be again, bright yellow!

About Me

I am an oil painter from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I retired in May 2008 after 28 years of teaching art and now have more time to pursue my passions of painting and traveling. My life has revolved around my love of art, starting with afternoon art classes while in kindergarten, a degree in art education, sharing my passion with hundreds of students yearly, and painting as often as I can. This journal is a combination of my daily paintings, my studio and plein-air work, my classes and workshops, and pieces from my travels past and present.

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Most of my paintings are for sale either by using a PayPal button or through the Daily PaintWorks Auction. If you are interested in a piece from my early days of blogging, before I used PayPal, please email me and I'll add a button just for you!

My husband and I love to travel. If you do not hear back from me pretty quickly after a purchase, we are on a trip to a location where we don't have immediate access to the internet. It is advised to not always announce on social media that you'll be away from your home for a long period of time, so often I talk about my trips and travels after the fact. Don't fret, I'll get back to you as soon as I can about the purchased painting.